Shell Shock
by Can'tTakethePressure
Summary: The war was coming and they were broken and torn and ripped at the seams, but my god they were beautiful. - "I'm scum, remember? Filthy mudblood scum." He snarled in her face and pulled up his sleeve. "Then what does that make me?" he asked. -
1. Chapter 1

There was nothing that was the same about Hogwarts. No longer were there feelings of warmth and home when the students trudged through the doors. There was just a cold empty feeling that settled in their gut, and told them to run. In the horde of students there were more robes with green and silver than anything else. Yet despite being the majority, they received scathing looks and clear rejection from their peers. As they all piled into the Great Hall and sat at their respective tables, there were wondrous eyes that stared at the gaggle of first years.

 _Slytherin._

 _Slytherin._

 _Ravenclaw._

 _Slytherin._

 _Ravenclaw._

 _Hufflepuff._

There was laughter and a head bowed down in shame.

 _Slytherin._

No muggle-borns were in sight, nor any that couldn't prove they were of wizard decent. That was the rule when they were ordered to come back to Hogwarts. They were not allowed to leave or not return unless they were deemed unfit by the Ministry. The Gryffindors that were forced to return failed to hide their animosity to it all. They were beyond livid when they saw a greasy haired man sitting in the chair that once belonged to Albus Dumbledore. Their anger was only contained due to the hushed soothing of Ginny Weasley, who promised revenge at a later date. It would be beyond idiotic for them to do anything now. With the overwhelming support of Voldemort all around them, they would've been killed in an instant.

"I am aware that the change of staff will cause some need of adjustment," said Snape, his voice soft yet cold. "However you all will obey by the rules set in place or face the given punishment."

A chill ran down the students' spine.

"Welcome our new Dark Arts and Muggle Studies teachers, Amycus and Alecto Carrow."

There was silence from everyone beside the Slytherin table. They were all clapping and cheering, though some were trying to be discreet about it, as if they were hesitant of showing such support. But then there was Draco Malfoy, who sat at the end of the table, biting into an apple and pretending as though nothing of going on around him. He played the look of disinterest well as he carelessly twirled his wand between his fingers. His quicksilver eyes were devoid of emotion, though his hair hid them from view every now and then as platinum locks fell into his eyes.

He wasn't paying attention to anything that the new headmaster was saying. At least, not until he heard his name being called.

"...Draco Malfoy as Head Boy."

The Slytherins cheered once more. Crabbe and Goyle were on either side of him, spewing congratulations as if they had not already seen the shiny badge on his robe. Though, the loud applause was silenced as another name was announced.

"...Hermione Granger as Head Girl."

Not a soul moved nor spoke at the sound of the name. Hermione Granger? The muggle-born? How was that possible?

Ginny found herself scanning her eyes around the Great Hall, searching for her missing friend, and hoping that Harry and Ron were with her too. But no where in sight was the curly haired brunette.

Alecto Carrow stood abruptly and walked to the door, left of the staff table. She slammed the door open and beckoned someone over with in a threatening wave of her wand. Ginny sucked in a harsh breath, along did every other Gryffindor, as a frail figure walked out into view.

The girl was thin, abnormally so, with pale sallow skin and tangled chestnut curls that seemed to make up the majority of her weight. She was wearing Gryffindor's colors, and had the Head Girl badge pinned to her robe, though her clothes seemed to swamp her body.

"Upon insistent request, Ms. Granger was allowed to return to Hogwarts this year. Granger, take your seat," Snape announced.

She walked forward, slowly but confidently, despite how much she was shaking. Her head was held high as she walked over to the Gryffindor table. She failed to miss the gawks and glares from those around her, but focused on the task at hand- sitting.

The Gryffindors took her in warmly, hugging her and sheltering their precious Head Girl from offending eyes. If looks were capable of killing, Ginny would have slaughtered the whole Slytherin table. Hermione laid shaking in her arms as she silently cried at the brief familiarity around her. She missed this. She missed having people who loved her, and who she loved, being in the same vicinity.

"What happened to you?" Ginny whispered in her ear.

Hermione closed her eyes and shuddered at the memory. She shook her head, finding herself incapable of telling the younger girl the truth. How was she supposed to say that the great Hermione Granger was taken while her guard was down? That she was left in a cell somewhere to rot when she refused to provide any information? That she was only at Hogwarts at the moment as a way to lure the rest of the Golden Trio back?

When the feast began, there was a low hum of chatter, though many people simply wanted to eat and return to their dorms. Hermione allowed her friends to force food down her throat, and relished at the taste of her favorite foods.

"Have you heard from them?" asked Ginny quietly.

Hermione shook her head. The dark circles under her eyes seemed to worsen as she remembered something.

"The rest of us plan to stay in the Room of Requirement," Ginny murmured. "It's not the same in the dorms without..." She looked around and saw the missing faces. "It's not the same."

Hermione nodded in understanding. She fidgeted in her seat and stared down at the food, finding her stomach incapable of holding anymore.

"Hermione," Neville said softly, "you've got us. You've got us now." He stared at her with burning eyes and reached out to gently touch her hand. "You're not alone."

She took Neville's hand and felt the warmth of his fingers as they wrapped around her. A single tear trickled down her cheek as she gripped onto him tighter, finding comfort knowing that he was there. That he was real and not some figment of her imagination. She reached out to do the same to Ginny, and took a shuddering breath.

"We have to stay together," she said. The sound of her soft melodic voice was like music. "No one go anywhere alone. Move in at least groups of three."

The others nodded.

"We won't survive this year if we're alone."


	2. Chapter 2

In the month that the Carrows kept her chained at Hogwarts, Hermione learned a few things. One, Alecto Carrow enjoyed to grow out her nails for the sole purpose of digging them into other people. Two, her brother was even more of a git than Draco Malfoy ever was. And three, there was nothing in the world that was capable of ceasing the incessant shaking of her hands. The twitches came after the first few rounds of crucios from Carrows. The hours she spend writhing and screaming on the floor, Hermione was surprised that she wasn't like the Longbottoms.

As she tried to hold her wand now, the spasms kept her from keeping steady. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco Malfoy staring at her right hand. His face was kept expressionless, though she supposed that was better than having him laugh at her infliction.

The two of them walked side by side, making their way to the Head Dorm with the Deputy Headmistress, Alecto Carrow. The lithe woman walked slowly, scanning the corridors with dark eyes. Hermione wanted to ask if she knew where she was going, but held her tongue, knowing that speaking would grant her punishments that she could no longer tolerate.

"Don't think that because you have a wand, you're a witch," Alecto hissed as they arrived at the Head Dorm. She nodded at Hermione's wand. "We will be watching every spell you cast so tread carefully, Granger." Turning towards Draco, her expression turned colder, if possible. "I suppose I don't have to remind you of your duty?"

"No," Draco said curtly. Grey eyes were smoldering at the witch

"That's a shame, because I'll tell you them anyways," she said mockingly. Jabbing her wand out at his pale throat, she bared her teeth out feral-like and growled under her breath, "Do not fail the Dark Lord once more. Make sure she stays in line." Slowly she turned to wave her wand tauntingly at Hermione. "The Dark Lord has great plans with you, Dearie," she drawled.

If Draco was affected by Alecto, he didn't show it. His face remained stoic and cold. His fingers didn't even itch for his wand. Instead, he pushed away the witch's wand and looked at the portrait door. The image of Hogwarts was shown clearly, with lights in the castle turning on and off. A serpent slithered at the castle gates, before wrapping itself around a statue of a lion. It hissed and coiled tightly around the statue.

"Lemon drops," he said, his voice low and hallow.

The portrait swung open, and he walked in, forgetting about Alecto and Hermione. Tiredly he took off his robe and let it slip to the floor in a heap. He tossed his bag onto one of the armchairs and sprawled himself on the emerald velvet couch. Loosening his tie, he sighed loudly and closed his eyes. Vaguely the sound of light footfalls met his ears, followed by the sound of the portrait door closing, then light footfalls again.

Hermione stared at him, alarmed by how casual he was. Just like her, he was not the same. But while she had lost weight and built a wall to defend herself, he seemed to had done the opposite. Draco Malfoy had grown out of his lanky physique and filled out with broad shoulders and defined muscles that could be seen through his white button up shirt. Platinum blonde hair dusted just below his eyebrows. His nose, no longer as pointy and narrow, was slightly crooked, as if it had been broken and did not heal properly. Still, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. That seemed to be the only thing they shared in common.

"Do muggles not teach their children not to stare?" he suddenly asked. His voice was deep and filled with annoyance.

She continued to stare, feeling something heat up in her gut as she took in his appearance. Slowly she took a step towards him. Then another. And another. Then all at once, she lunged at him.

With tiny fists flailing and a loud outcry of rage, she slammed her fists on any part of his body she could reach. She straddled his waist and hovered above him, looking like a deranged banshee as she did so. Sentence fragments filled with curses and insults left her lips as thick hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What the hell, Granger!" Draco yelled, grabbing her wrists. He held them tightly before twisting their bodies to pin her to the couch. "What the fuck is your problem?" he shouted in her face. His breath felt warm against her cheek as he berated her with more questions, asking her why she decided to attack him. "Answer me!" he demanded, slamming her wrists above her head as she tried to squirm away. "You are bloody insane!"

"Well why wouldn't I be?" she spat back at him. "A month in the hands of Death Eaters," she said lowly, her voice shaking, "and now I'm living with one."

There was a shift in Draco's demeanor as his face, once contorted with anger, fell into a blank stare. "You stupid bint," he whispered icily. Releasing her wrists, he used his weight to pin her down as he began to roll up his left sleeve. "Look at it, Granger. Look!"

Staining his forearm stood the mark that symbolized the hatred for her existence. Never had she seen one so up close before. Her right hand twitched.

"You see this, Granger?" he asked rhetorically. " _This_ might be a death sentence for you, but it's a life sentence for me." He pressed his face close to hers till his lips grazed her ear. "You can hate me all you want, but at the end of the day, the only reason why you aren't dead yet, is because Potter isn't here. I always thought he'd be the one dead without you. Ironic, don't you think?"

Pushing away from her, he stood up and gathered his belongings before storming off to his room, leaving Hermione to lay on the couch, staring that the ceiling with tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes burned as a spark lit up in them for the first time in weeks. Her right hand twitched. She furiously wiped her face and sat up.

No, she thought. This was not her. She was not the kind of person to blindly attack another. But Draco Malfoy was the cause of her being here. If he hadn't been so much of a coward and allowed Dumbledore to be-

She closed her eyes and took shuddering breaths. Dumbledore was gone, and Draco had taken part in his death. Now the wizarding world was in shambles. The ministry was gone, now taken over by Voldemort. And Harry and Ron... They were out on the run, looking for horcruxes hopefully, and not loosing their minds over her whereabouts. The night she was taken- the night of Bill and Fleur's wedding- Harry had gotten an idea on where to start his hunt for horcruxes. Surely he and Ron were managing without her, right? They were smart boys. At least, smart enough not to get killed.

"Idiots," she muttered under her breaths.

This was Harry and Ron. They faced so much already. They were definitely alive, other wise she wouldn't be sitting in the middle of the Head Dormitory common room. But Merlin did she miss them.

She missed the way they made her laugh and the way they made her feel safe. She missed Harry and the comfort and hope he brought her. She missed Ron, and how he managed to make her feel like there was nothing wrong in the world at times.

"I love you, Hermione," she imagined him saying, his voice soft and sweet. "I love you. Stay with me."

Her heart swelled at the memory of Ron. "I love you," she wanted to say to him. "I love you and I'm safe."

But as she opened her eyes, she saw the stone walls of the dormitory, rather than Ron. Slowly, emptiness settled in her chest, and she stood from the couch. Nothing was the same. Harry and Ron were gone.

Hermione knew what she needed to do now. Her eyes were gleaming as she walked to her room. She discovered that there were no doors, curtesy of the Carrows no doubt. It left two openings: the main entrance, and one that led to a bathroom she had to share with _Malfoy_.

There was no privacy, but at least there was a trunk and a bed. Well, somewhat of a bed. There was just a mattress on the floor with grey sheets and a wool blanket. Slowly she sat on the mattress that sat on the floor in the corner of the room, and felt the roughness and tensing of the springs. It was slightly better than the couch, so she settled for it, not picky over bedding after sleeping on the ground of a month.

Laying down, she felt her eyelids lower. Darkness surrounded her and slowly peace settled in her chest as her mind began to fall asleep, allowing her a few hours to escape reality.

* * *

Hermione, under any circumstances, did not want to wake up. The harsh green walls around her glared and told her to stay in bed. The coldness of the room caused her to shake and curl into a ball beneath her blanket. Closing her eyes, she hoped for some more minutes of sleep, but suddenly she heard a door open, and knew that Draco was in the bathroom.

"Granger?"

He walked over to stick his head through the doorway. His face contorted into a look of disbelief and annoyance. Shaking his head, he ran his hands through his head. Unbelievable, he thought. Yet he knew that he was supposed to be watching Hermione like a hawk. The Dark Lord stated his mission very clearly- Keep Hermione Granger under the control of the Death Eaters to lure Harry Potter out. He was to know her every move to ensure there were no problems.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, before going back to the bathroom.

Hermione could hear him in there. Every sound he made only drove her to wanting to sleep even more. Closing her eyes, she recalled her dream and felt the corners of her lips tug up.

 _"Hermione, what to you reckon this does?" Ron asked, holding up the cylindrical device. "Beside put out lights of course."_

 _She observed the gift that Dumbledore had left Ron in his will. "I've never seen anything like it before." She held out her hand, and Ron placed it on her palm. It felt cool and sleek against her fingertips. Her fingers ran over it, inspecting every detail. She clicked it open, and watched as the light in Ron's room went out. Clicking it once more, it returned._

 _"Ron, Hermione!" Harry whispered as he entered the room. "Muffalo." He sat on the floor with them and showed them the golden snitch in his hand. "I have a theory," he said. "What if-"_

"Granger, wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open and she looked to see Draco standing in the doorway with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Water droplets trickled down his chest as he tried to dry off his damn hair with a smaller towel.

"I will be damned if I am punished for your laziness. Get up."

He threw the towel in his hand at her, hitting her in the face. Hermione sat up abruptly, wand clutched in her hand and pointed at the blond. He gave her a challenging smirk, and took a step into the room. Standing there, he waited for her to curse him, knowing that she would not, and could not, go through with it. The tag on her wand kept her from performing any kind of spell without Snape's knowledge, and it would not have bode well for her if the Headmaster found out that his godson was stupefied.

Her hand shook, but the fire was lit in her eyes, causing her to show a new look of determination that Draco had not seen in awhile.

"You have five minutes before I'm dragging you out of here myself," Draco said.

"Carefull, Malfoy. You might catch some cooties from being so close to me. What would your father have to say about that?"

His grey eyes darkened. "Careful, mudblood."

"And what could you do to me? Until that snake you bow down to says otherwise, I stay alive," Hermione retorted. Kicking off the blanket, she stood. "And you? You already tarnished your family name in his inner circle of bigots. If you died, another would just replace you." She took a step towards him. "You are disposable, and I'm needed." She laughed at the irony, though her laugh was hallow and cold. "Don't worry, Malfoy. You'll always be remembered. Who could for get the Amazing Bouncing Ferret?"

Draco growled. In two long strides he was in front of her, seething and scowling with his hands clenched into tight fists. "You overestimate your worth," he snarled. Roughly grabbing her shoulders, his fingers dug deep into her skin, drawing a small whimper. "You just have to be alive, Granger. But pretty soon, you're going to wish you weren't."

Then he released her, and retreated to his room, no longer finding the point in arguing with a girl that was technically his prisoner. She was useless to him. She was just another piece of mudblood filth. She was _nothing_.

But why did he always find the urge to rile her up? To see that spark in her eyes return, even for a second? Perhaps it was because it reminded him of a time when teasing the Golden Trio was his favorite past-time. Old habits die hard, he supposed. But even has he thought about it, he knew that it was different than before. Now, there was no Harry Potter or Ron Weasley to protect her. The little lioness was now left alone in the wild.

How pathetic, he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione was cautious as she walked to the Great Hall. She was prepared for an attack from a Slytherin or the Carrows, though they were the same she supposed. Malfoy, being the git he was, had left her alone after telling her to watch her back. Not many people were happy with her return, evidently. Quite frankly, even she was disappointed to be at Hogwarts. It wasn't the same. It wasn't home. There wasn't even a way for her to make herself feel less homesick. All of her belongings, besides her wand and current outfit, were at the Burrow. She was forced to clean her clothes with magic everyday, though it was better than before, when she was locked up in that god forbidden room with Alecto.

She shuddered.

"Hermione."

Ginny, Neville, and Luna stood outside the Great Hall, waiting for her. They gave her small smiles of relief and enveloped her in hugs. Ginny's eyes ran over her body, scanning for any marks of abuse.

"I'm okay," Hermione said reassuringly. "No one bothered me. They're all at breakfast."

As they entered the Great Hall, there was a silence that fell upon the chattering. Eyes once more stared deeply into Hermione, as if they were unsure of whether or not it was actually her. She clenched her hands into fists in attempt to quell the shaking in her hands, wanting to show no weaknesses to those vile snakes that smirked at her.

The four of them sat and began to eat, ignoring the others. Luna found herself at ease amongst the Gryffindors. Nowadays, Ravenclaw showed more loyalty with Voldemort. She stared off with a dazed look on her face, giving the impression of a blank mind. However it was clear to those who knew her that the gears in her hear were turning and that she was thinking about something incomprehensible to those inept to her mentality.

"They're punishing the blood-traitors," Neville said, his voice hushed and barely above a whisper. "Yesterday a Hufflepuff was cornered by Crabbe and Goyle. He's in the Hospital Wing."

"They haven't dared to come near me yet," Ginny added. She clutched her wand in her hand and gave a wicked grin. "It's a shame, really. I've been itching to do a Bat-Bogey Hex," she muttered.

Hermione nudged the younger witch with her elbow but grinned back nonetheless. "We have to find a way to keep the others' hopes up," she murmured seriously. "Harry and Ron will be back. We have to be prepared for it."

"Prepared?" Neville furrowed his eyebrows.

"To fight," Ginny elaborated. "The war, Nev."

He blanched, the color slowly draining from his face as he rubbed his palms on his lap to wipe away the moisture covering them. He nodded in understanding then looked away for a moment. His warm brown eyes stared at the Headmaster's seat, where Snape now sat. His fingers curled slightly, and his shoulders tensed. The man who spend the past several years tormenting him sat in a chair he didn't deserve.

"What about the DA?" Neville asked.

The name of the forgotten club chilled Hermione to her bones. It was strange to hear it, especially after everything that had happened. Dumbledore's Army. It was fitting of their current situation.

"Hardly anyone is left. Someone is bound to notice something if the ones remaining suddenly disappear in the middle of the night," Ginny said. She frowned and chewed on her lip. "Perhaps..." Her voice trailed off. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "I can ask around and see if any of the remaining members are interested."

"It would be fun," Luna suddenly said. "It'll be like-"

She paused before closing her mouth. Everyone knew the end of her sentence.

 _It'll be like before_.

"Be safe today. We don't know what the Slytherins have planned." Hermione gave them all a pointed look. She turned to the other Gryffindors and whispered the same message.

"That's not entirely true," Luna said. She glanced at the Slytherin table. Her clear blue eyes scanned over the people that sat there, laughing and freely chatting without fear of being overheard. "I heard that they're using they'll crucio students as punishments."

All possible color that remained in Neville's face fell, and his eyes flickered as he began to sway in his seat. Hermione reached out to grab his shoulders, digging her fingers into his shoulders to anchor him to reality.

"Nev," she said softly. "Neville breathe."

He shook violently and glared at his empty plate. His breaths were ragged and shallow. Crucios as punishments, he thought. How Slytherin of them. It wouldn't be the first time someone sent a crutiatus curse at him and his family. Magic crackled around him, pulsating in waves. He clenched his hands into tighter fists. Suddenly his plate cracked in half, causing a gasp from those around him.

Ginny quickly repaired it, muttering the spell under her breath before any of the professors noticed.

"Neville," Hermione murmured. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

His eyes bore into her and he slowly nodded after a few moments, letting her words sink in. "Yeah," he whispered. "It'll be okay."

* * *

Hermione never thought there would be a day when she dreaded going to classes. She stood at the front of the new Dark Arts classroom, the rest of the Gryffindors a step behind her. Her eyes shined brightly as she stared at the group of students that smirked at them all. The numbers were uneven, she noticed. More Slytherins stood across from them than ever before. Their arrogant faces only drove the Gryffindors closer to the brink of starting a war right then and there. But with a calm wave of Hermione's hand, the lions kept their ground steady and refrained from attacking.

"I will be choosing your partners for the year," Amycus said as he stood between the two groups. "When I call your names, stand with your partner to the side."

Hermione's eyes landed on Draco, who was staring at the wall blankly. He seemed disinterested in the class, unlike his classmates who were practically shaking with excitement.

"Longbottom, Crabbe. Brown, Parkinson. Granger, Malfoy."

He looked at her. His grey eyes pierced her as they gave her a cold glare. Draco walked to the side of the room, and Hermione followed, keeping a distance from him. The knots in her stomach twisted as she thought about being paired up with him all year. Was it not bad enough that they shared a dorm together? No. This year was not supposed to be enjoyable for her. She was only here for bait, she reminded herself.

Once everyone was with their counterparts, Amycus clasped his hands together loudly, getting the attention of the students. The corners of his lips tugged up in a semblance of a smile, though it showed no warmth or kindness. There was a sort of sneer to it, as if it was mocking the very action of smiling. He pointed his wand at Neville and out shot a white light that barely missed the boy's arm. A yelp rang out in the air, and the Slytherins laughed.

Hermione gripped her wand tightly and found herself taking a step towards Amycus with the intent of sending a hex his way. A cold hand wrapped tightly around her wrist and yanked her back before the professor noticed.

"Don't even think about it, Granger," Draco said through gritted teeth. He squeezed her wrist tighter for effect, then pushed her wrist away as if it was offensive.

Vile git, Hermione thought. She ached to show the Carrows just how much she could hurt them now that she wasn't bound and wandless. But perhaps Malfoy stopping her was a good idea. After all, even if she hurt the Carrows, nothing would stop them from hurting Neville or Ginny or anyone else she cared about.

"Today you all will be dueling," Amycus announced.

He specified nothing else. No boundaries within spell use was told. It was a free for all: their own little battle right then and there, and he was moderating it. He waved his hand, motioning for the students to start. His dark brown eyes rolled exasperatedly.

"Must I do everything for you worthless lot?"

There was a silence that fell upon them, until it was broken by a loud outcry.

"Stupefy!" Crabbe was the first to attack. Red light shot from his wand, aimed towards his partner.

"Protego!"

Crabbe was knocked back, stunned and slightly alarmed.

Lavender Brown stood defiantly, her wand pointed at the Slytherin. She reached out to pull Neville out of Crabbe's way before sending back a curse. "Petrificus totalus!"

Hermione didn't recognize the girl in front of her. Was that really Lavender Brown? The ditzy bimbo that pined after Ron for years? She never seemed much good for anything other than gossip, but now she seemed ready to tear the head off of Crabbe for attacking her fellow Gryffindor.

"Levicorpus!" Pansy spoke up, aiming at the blonde.

The rest of the class followed, breaking out into duels. Hermione found herself at the end of many Slytherins' wands. Neville pressed his back against hers as they found themselves surrounded by Gregory Goyle, Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, and Millicent Bulstrode. The warmth of his body pressed against hers briefly reminded her that she wasn't alone.

"Reckon what Harry and Ron would think of this," Neville said under his breath.

"They would have a fit," she answered, her eyes never leaving the Slytherins before her. _"_ _Tarantallegra!"_ It was sent towards Daphne, who wasn't quick enough to react. Instantly the girl's legs began to move, forcing her to dance uncontrollably. It was amusing, though Hermione had little time to appreciate it as three spells were sent her way, red lights flashing.

"Duck!" Neville shoved her to the ground, taking the impact of the spells himself. He fell to the ground beside her, unconscious.

Hermione jumped to her feet, ignoring the pain in her knees and hands from falling. "Expelliarmus!" Hermione sent it towards Draco. Her eyes flashed as she found herself grabbing his wand as it flew out of his hand.

 _His wand. I have his wand!_ Hermione opened her mouth to send a curse, but found herself being tackled to the floor. Air was knocked out of her lungs as Draco pinned her down, his hands grabbing for his wand. A cry left Hermione's lips as she tried to shove him off of her. Her hands beat against his chest, though it seemed to have no effect.

"Give me the wand, Granger," Draco hissed. "Don't make this harder for yourself."

"Fuck. You," she spat in his face.

With his wand, she send out a curse, this time towards the Carrow that stood in the middle of the room, watching the chaos unfold around him.

"Locomotor mortis!"

Their professor fell over, his legs locked together. A string of profanity left his lips. His eyes immediately met with Hermione's. They narrowed into fine slits, before he pointed his wand at her.

 _"Crucio."_


	4. Chapter 4

Familiar blinding white hot pain twisted through her. There was no cry of pain or any tears shed. The only sign of her torture was the writhing of her body as she struggled to find gasps of breath. While to her it felt like forever, she knew it had only been a few seconds. Amycus ended his curse after finding no joy in her silence. He undid the curse that bound his legs together and stood, walking over to her prone figure.

The students had stopped their duels, all staring at the scene before them. It was sickening to watch as their Head Girl laid on the floor, twitching. Her hair was wild and sprawled around her, covering part of her face like a curtain, and stuck to her forehead from perspiration.

"If any of you feel the need to follow is Miss. Granger's footsteps, take note of her current state," Amycus announced. He kicked her back with the point of his shoe, hoping to elicit some kind of sound, but she bit down on the inside of her cheek to refrain from doing so. The pain traveled up her spine and through her body. "The Dark Lord has no place for those that do not listen," he said.

Slowly, Hermione propped herself up with her arms, despite how much they shook. Her eyes landed on the horrified Gryffindors, and saw the way they gripped their wands, as if ready to attack once more. Subtly, she shook her head, warning them not to repeat her actions.

"Foolish girl," Amycus spat.

She stood, using all of her strength to do so. Nausea washed over her, and threatened to spill the contents of her breakfast over the Carrow's shoes. It wouldn't haven been such a bad thing to do, but Hermione knew she had reached her maximum capacity of humiliation for the day.

Draco ripped his wand from her hand and held it at her throat, grey eyes smoldering. "Mudblood. Outside. Now." He nodded towards the door, not waiting for their professor's approval. Digging his wand into her flesh, he led her out of the classroom.

Her legs moved out of their own accord, unable to shake the feeling in her chest that objecting would only cause more harm than good. Quietly she walked out of the room. Her mind raced with scenarios and ways for her escape. Perhaps disarming Malfoy...

"I knew you were an idiot but that was too far," Draco snarled into her ear. He grabbed her arm and dragged her across the corridor to an empty classroom. Kicking the door open, he shoved her in, and watched as she fell to the ground in a weak thud.

Despite the pain washing over her and clouding her mind, Hermione didn't miss the fact that he closed and _locked_ the door before mumbling a spell under his breath. Draco stood above her, glowering. He was livid, and quite frankly she was too. The only reason she was in this mess was because of him. He let those monsters into Hogwarts. He let them kill Dumbledore.

 _He let them kill Dumbledore_.

"Do you want to die, Granger?"

It was a serious question.

Her lips parted, but she hesitated. "What?" she asked dumbly.

Draco rolled his eyes and loosened his tie. "You're a bloody piece of work," he spat. "You'll get us both killed by the end of the month if you keep this up. And I will be damned before I let that happen." He crouched down so he was at eye level with her. His fingers reached out to grab ahold of her chin. Digging into her flesh, he held her in a vice grip, forcing her to look at him. "Since your insipid mudblood brain is inept in processing your lack of worth, I'll spell things out for you." His fingers left her chin, and trailed down to her throat, causing her to shiver. Wrapping his hand around her slim neck, he squeezed gently, hinting at how easily it would have been for him to simply hurt her. "All we need is for Potter to come back, and he will eventually, whether or not your presence is here to motivate him. There's plenty of others here that he cares about. The She-Weasel, Longbottom,- Hell, even Loony Lovegood. All you are, is insurance; Not quite necessary but useful to have." Draco stared at her for a moment, taking in the hollowness of her cheeks, the darkened circles under her eyes, and the now dullness of an extinguished fire in her eyes. This was not Hermione Granger, he realized. This was someone else. Someone illogical, irrational, and nothing like the brave Gryffindor he bullied the past seven years. This person was going to be killed for being so weak, he realized. "You behave and be a good little bait till St. Potty decides to show up. Stay out of trouble. Stay away from the Carrows. Use that thing in your skull called a brain, for once, or I will chain you up and keep you from getting in the way."

Hermione studied him. Her eyes raked over his body, trying to make sense of everything around her, and trying to comprehend why he was so close to her. The hand around her throat rested there, no pressure applied. Her mind was racing and running and so many thoughts were being jumbled. Thoughts of Harry and Ron seemed to be running a marathon in her mind, clouding her with worry and pain at the prospect of them being hurt. But then there was this side of her that told her to protect the others at Hogwarts, and told her to take the wrath of the Death Eaters to spare them some heartache. And of course there were random thoughts that seemed to pop up in her mind that reminded her of how she used to be. How she was before her month in captivity. How was she to make sense of a world where logic no longer existed?

"What happened to you?" she suddenly found herself asking. Hermione looked at the Slytherin before her, eyes now curious. "What happened to the whiny Slytherin Prince? What happened to the Malfoy that would've jumped at the opportunity to kill me?"

They stared at each other, and for a moment, all they saw were their similarities. The hidden pain and exhaustion in their eyes were now shining through. They were both changed beings that no longer had a definite place in the world. And for moment, just a moment, Hermione pitied Draco for being raised in such a corrupt family. But their peace ended quickly, and reality came rushing through them.

"Stop that," Draco snapped. His hand tightened around her throat slightly.

"Stop what?" she asked.

"Stop looking at me like I'm some pathetic creature in need of help," he bit out. "By the end of this war, I'll be the one to live and you'll just be another dead mudblood." He stood, releasing her. Nothing else was said as he walked away, leaving her alone in the classroom, laying on the ground.

* * *

Hermione was not allowed to spend time in the library, nor in the Gryffindor Tower, or any other place that would have made it difficult to track her whereabouts. After what happened in Dark Arts, Draco kept her close, refusing to allow her out of his sight. Any poor behavior from her was only a reflection of his lack of authority, and Draco Malfoy was not prepared to have another demonstration on How to Train a Mudblood by his Aunt Bellatrix. So he kept the Gryffindor Princess in line by threatening to harm her friends, effectively keeping her from sneaking off to meet with them. In fact, the only 'alone' time she had, was during meals when she was with the other Gryffindors, and when she was asleep.

Days began to fade quickly as Hermione found herself falling into a daily routine. Wake up, shower, clean her clothes, eat, go to classes, eat, sleep. It wasn't until a week or two later did things start to change.

Hermione was sitting on the couch in their common room, reading a book with great interest, despite it being the fifth time she had read it. Her hair was a wild mess as always, and even though it was pulled up into a bun, curled tendrils fell into her eyes and blocked her vision.

And in the arm chair beside her was Draco, who was working diligently on an essay. Several times he had to push his hair back to keep it from falling into his eyes. His smooth penmanship ran across the parchment in fine cursive.

It was late and past dinner. The prefects were supposed to be patrolling, leaving the Head Boy and Girl with time to spare before sleep took them away. Nights like these, Hermione had grown accustomed to being in Draco's presence, and he hers. They remained in a state of peace so long as they avoided any direct communication and contact. Of course some nights, one of them would snap at the other and vise versa, and their cycle of hate repeated.

"Fuck!"

A jagged line ran across the parchment, and the quill fell from Draco's hand. He cradled his left forearm with his right hand as a blistering pain began to burn at it.

"Malfoy?" Hermione stood up, walking over to him with pinched eyebrows and an a look of concern. "What's wrong?" She reached out to touch his arm softly.

Draco looked at her in disbelief, at a loss as to why she was worrying over him. But he soon realized that she wasn't worried about _him_ in particular. She was a Gryffindor; all good and mighty with too much compassion for others. She was undoubtedly a Head Girl by nature, and worried over anyone and anything.

 _Of course. She bloody thinks house elves should have rights,_ Draco reminded himself.

"Piss off, Granger," he snapped, brushing her hand off of him. "Don't touch me so casually. "

"Let me see your arm," she said slowly, as if talking to a petulant child. He yanked up his sleeve to reveal that dark mark, which was jet black and seemingly alive. "Shit," he hissed under his breath.

Hermione's eyes widened, realizing what was happening. "He's summoning you," she said in disbelief.

"What a useful observation!" Draco snapped. He grimaced and stood abruptly. "If you care for your own safety- or your friends' safety- Stay here, Granger."

He began to walk towards the door, and pointed his wand at it, muttering something that she could not hear. Though she was smart enough to know that whatever he casted most likely ensured that she would stay in the dorm and away from the other students. But even after he left, she went to the door and tried to open it. To her surprise, it gave way and opened to reveal the empty, dimly lit, corridor that led to the dorm. As she took a step forward, her foot seemed to hit a wall. Beyond the doorway, she was kept from leaving. Stretching her arm out, she felt the invisible barrier that stood between her and the rest of Hogwarts.

"Malfoy," she muttered in annoyance.

With a huff, she closed the door and went back to her book, which had fallen on the ground when she jumped to Draco's aid. Hermione scoffed at herself. Leave it to her to worry over him.

 _Prejudice prat._ Hermione settled onto the couch and curled up into a ball with the book tucked close to her body. She hoped that reading would take her mind off of Draco, but more specifically, why he was _summoned_. However, her wild imagination kept her from doing so. As far as she knew, the Malfoys and Voldemort were not exactly on the best terms.

There was a knot in her stomach as she thought about what could have happened to demand his presence. Was it a Malfoy related problem? Or... Did it have to do with Harry and Ron? Were they okay?Hermione shuddered.

"Stop," she whispered to herself. "Stop thinking about them. They're okay. They're alive."

She closed her eyes and imaged them beside her, telling her their reassurances.

"'Mione, we're fine," Ron told her. "We haven't died before, remember?"

"Yeah. We've been through hard times. We can take care of ourselves," Harry murmured.

She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. "But who's taking care of me?" she whispered.

Hermione was alone. The last time she felt so lost was back in the beginning of first year, when she knew no one at Hogwarts and had no friends. This time felt worse to her though. Because now, she was stuck in a foreign place she once called her home, with limited communication with her friends and family. She wondered if her mum and dad even knew that something was wrong, or if they simply thought their daughter was too busy to send them an owl. She hoped for the latter, unable to think of the worry they would have been going through.

Hope was something she relied on a lot lately. There was never much else since the Death Eaters stripped her of everything that made her...her. Was she really Hermione Granger anymore? Her magic was being tracked and up until now, every move she made was watched by Malfoy.

"Hermione," she heard Harry's voice in her head again. "You'll figure this out. You're okay."

"Am I?" she asked.

She no longer felt like she was _okay._ In fact most days, she felt nothing. The others always looked to her for guidance, and all she could ever say to them was, "We need to stick together", or "We need to be ready for when Harry and Ron come back." She needed a plan. A concrete plan.

"Think, Hermione," she told herself. "Think."

She thought about Neville, who had begun to show up less and less in classes along with some of the Gryffindors. They had started up a makeshift DA, with Neville and Ginny in charge. Ginny promised that they took precautions to ensure their safety. The Room of Requirement was their safe haven now, and it offered a place for them to train besides in Dark Arts, when Amycus had them attacking each other. Though she supposed that nowadays, with the Gryffindors and even some Hufflepuffs missing, duels in class were growing vapid. It always consisted of the Slytherins sending a student to the Hospital Wing. DA meetings were far more interesting. At least they seemed more interesting by what others have told her. Perhaps the DA was her place to start.

If she snuck off to one of the meetings, then surely she'd feel more like herself. All she had to do was get away from Malfoy.

Hermione yawned and placed the book in her hands down. Yes, that was what she would do. Again she yawned and stretched out on the couch. Too tired to move, she settled for sleeping on the couch. Slowly she slipped away from reality.

 _"Ron, Hermione, if I catch you two snogging-"_

 _"Ginny!" they exclaimed in unison._

 _Hermione flushed and turned her back towards Ron, unable to look at him without the thought of combusting into flames in embarrassment. He seemed to have the same idea, and looked away from her, suddenly finding the ceiling interesting._

 _Ginny came walking up the stairs, grinning at the sight of the uncomfortable pair. "Oh unclench your arses it was just a joke," she laughed. "Dinner's ready. Come down when you feel like it, but Fred and George won't wait long before eating everything."_

 _Hermione nodded. "We'll be right down."_

 _Ginny wiggled her eyebrows at both of them, relishing in their discomfort._

 _"Piss off, Ginny," Ron huffed._

 _The youngest Weasley childishly stuck her tongue out before laughing. "Hermione, you're too good for my brother. He's too much of an idiot."_

 _Quickly she ran down the stairs to avoid the nasty look Ron sent her way. Hermione giggled and tugged lightly on Ron's arm. She nodded for them to go downstairs, which he agreed to with a small smile._

 _"Mione," he said quietly._

 _"Yes?"_

 _He paused. Ron rubbed his hands on his pants, wiping away the moisture and licked his lips nervously. "Um." He cleared his throat._

 _"Ron? Are you alright?"_

 _His face turned red, much like how Hermione's was a minute ago. "Y-yeah. Um." Suddenly he leaned down, pressing his lips to her cheek. It was soft and warm in the millisecond that it lasted. Hermione was surprised at the sudden gesture._

 _"Hermione, I-"_

"Granger!"

Hermione was ripped away from her pleasant dream by a desperate plea. Her mind was muddled with sleep, but still she registered the gravity in the voice. She staggered to the door, confused as to who was shouting her name.

"Granger open the hell up!"

"Fuck, he's bleeding everywhere!"

Hermione threw the door open, and nearly screamed at the sight.

Three battered figures stood in front of her. She recognized them all immediately. Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini, who have been missing long before the school year started, were supporting Draco's limp body. Theo, whose hair was usually blond, was now a brunette, and had dried blood around his arms and neck. Hermione wasn't sure if any of the blood was his, or where it was coming from, but the gashes on his face still fresh. His fair skin was now dark with dirt and blood, and bruises formed around his face and body. Blaise was no better. He looked more exhausted than Theo. Dark cuts ran over his arms but they seemed to be healing. However, he looked gaunt and starved, and a gash ran along the side of his face, running from his temple down to his jaw. His lip was split and his nose seemed to be broken. But the worse of the three seemed to be Draco. His head hung limp, though Hermione saw the blood that was dripping onto the floor from his face, and the deep red liquid soaked his shirt and robes. It looked as though he was dead.

"Finally," Blaise breathed.

They limped into the dorm, and Hermione shut the door quickly.

"What the bloody hell happened?"

"Set him down on the couch," Blaise said.

"Fuck, he's heavy. Granger, a little help here?" Theo huffed whilst trying to move the unconscious Malfoy onto the couch without hurting him further.

Hermione jumped into action, feeling her instincts take control. She moved in front of Draco and wrapped her arms gently around his waist to prop his torso up more. The three of them sat him on the couch before laying him down. Hermione winced at the sight of him. His platinum hair was now the color of rust, and stuck to his forehead. His face was unrecognizable due to the amount of blood smeared on it. She began to unbutton his shirt to access his wounds further. Her hand brushed against his wand, which was in the pocket of his cloak.

"Both of you sit down," Hermione snapped.

"Excuse me?" Theo scoffed.

She grabbed Draco's wand and pointed it to the two Slytherin. They both staggered back in alarm and held their hands up. "Sit down. You're both hurt."

They looked apprehensive, but did as told. Theo crossed his arms against his chest and leaned his head back. He looked content for a moment, as if sitting in a chair was one of the happiest things on Earth. Blaise was more uneased, and stared at Draco intently, as if he was afraid the blond would disappear before his eyes.

"We don't know what they exactly did to him," Blaise said.

Hermione paused. She inwardly gagged at how much blood there was in front of her, and turned towards Blaise for a brief break from seeing red. "Who?"

"Who do you think?" Theo asked. He groaned suddenly and held his side. He took slow deep breaths before saying, "We've been on the Death Eaters' hit-list." He groaned again.

"They did this to you guys?" Hermione was horrified. She looked back at Draco, and reached up to check his pulse unsure if he was truly alive after an attack from Voldemort's followers.

There were cuts all over his torso. They were all wounds from a knife, Hermione noticed. Using Draco's wand, she began to cast every healing spell she knew. There wasn't much she could do though, since she had no access to potions.

"Theo, are you okay?" Blaise asked.

Theo moaned and closed his eyes. He doubled over in pain, then before Hermione could register what was happening, he threw up on the floor. The sour smell reached her nose and caused her to shudder. Quickly she cleaned it up, grateful to have a wand to do magic with.

"Sorry," Theo coughed out.

"Why were they after you guys?" Hermione asked. She began to clean Draco, scourgifying him in attempt to make him look less dead.

Blaise began to cough violently. Splatters of blood left his lips as he did so. He looked at Theo, who was shaking and coughing as well. There was a look of pain in his eyes as he saw his best friend throw up once more. This time, Blaise cleaned it up. He sighed and looked at Hermione, the girl he was raised to hate. She glanced at him in confusion and genuine concern. It didn't amaze him that she was goodnatured enough to help them. She was the symbol of all good and morals after all. But he was glad that she hadn't called for a professor yet, and instead she settled for the answers that he and Theo were providing her.

"Theo and I defected, Granger. We left two months ago."

"You-Know-Who didn't really like that. Nor did our parents," Theo added. He laughed, but it sounded hollow. "Talk about disciplining your children, eh?" He looked over himself and laughed again. "Dear Merlin, my beautiful face is ruined now, isn't it? Tell me the truth, Blaise- If these cuts scar, will I look more attractive or will I look like shit like Draco over here?"

"Theo, you look like shit either way," Blaise snapped.

Hermione sighed. "Stop it, both of you." She settled for how Draco looked, knowing she could do no better. She walked over to Theo next to help him. "You both...defected," she said, repeating what he had said before. "Why?"

Theo looked at her. His blue eyes shined so bright with an undecipherable emotion that it caused her breath to catch in her throat.

"They wanted us to kill you. You and your parents to be exact."


	5. Chapter 5

The ground was cold and hard as she sat there on the floor, her back facing the unconscious Malfoy. She was in an altered state of mind that left her half asleep, leaning against the couch, yet at the same time very much so awake and aware of her surroundings. It had become impossible to sleep after fixing up the Slytherin boys. Hermione found that Draco woke up frequently, screaming and clawing at himself in terror. The screaming was fixed by a quick _Silencio._ Or so she thought it was, until his next episode, in which she realized that nothing she did would last. Each time he screamed- Each time he dug his nails into his own flesh and thrashed about as if he was being attacked, she repeated the same spells. _Silencio. Petrificus Totalus._ Hermione couldn't quite understand why the spells weren't holding, but she knew it had to do with his magic. It was a horrifying sight to witness. It was horrifying to even _feel_ it. Being around Draco during his night terrors brought chills down her spine. Hermione even shuddered at the thought of them. Never before had she felt so much power from a person. Magic seemed to expel from him each time his terrors occurred, and it caused a wave of nausea and fear to settle in her stomach. The magic she used to petrify him seemed to vanish, and it made her wonder just how powerful Draco Malfoy was.

But even when she disregarded Draco, there were the other two boys to worry about. Blaise, despite how calm he seemed to be, shook violently in his sleep and mumbled incoherent pleas for help. Every so often, he let out a loud groan of pain, then whimpered like a wounded animal. Hermione did her best to placate him by murmuring soothing words of comfort, and wrapping him in a blanket that she took from Draco's room. Theo was unlike the others. He slept soundlessly without so much as a breath being heard from his direction. Hermione found herself watching for the slight rise and fall of his chest, just to make sure that he was indeed still breathing. Every now and then, his face pinched up in pain, then relaxed again.

Hermione stared at the wand in her hand. It was Malfoy's. The wand itself was quite simple. There were no intricate designs or flourish that give it a unique characteristic. But there was magic that hummed from it, and Hermione felt compelled to find out more about just how much power Draco had been hiding this whole time.

Briefly, Hermione glanced at the portrait door. It wouldn't have been hard to take off running, especially if she took all of the boys' wands. She already took down Draco's barrier that kept her locked in the dorm. The thought of leaving crossed her mind many times, but she felt indebted to Blaise and Theo.

 _"They wanted us to kill you and your parents. They had plans to string your corpses in Diagon Alley for the whole Wizarding World to see," Blaise said. His face contorted into a grimace. "The things they wanted to do..." He shuddered. "At first, they wanted you alive. That way they could have their fun with you before-"_

 _"That's enough," Hermione said, feeling sick at his words._

 _"Our thoughts exactly," Theo sighed. He chuckled darkly and shook his head slightly. "After the first few times we failed, they said they wanted you and your parents dead or alive." He laughed, and the sound felt cold. "Do you know how many deaths we've seen? How many murders that took place just a few meters away while we stood and watched?" He pulled up his left sleeve to reveal an unblemished forearm. "The night before Blaise and I were to be inducted, we found you. You were with your parents in the muggle world, and it was late at night. Dolohov was with us. He went to hex you and-" Theo broke out coughing. Blood splattered out of his mouth. "Fuck," he swore. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten before opening them again. As if nothing had happened, he continued his story. "I hexed him first. Blaise and I took off that night. We tried hiding from the others, but we knew we needed some things first, so we went to find Draco."_

 _"He lent us money and told us to stay at one of his homes in Greece. We stayed there for a week or so before Bellatrix showed up," Blaise said. "We were on the run ever since. Every now and then we had some help from Draco to throw her off our tail."_

 _"Now look at him," Theo said. He looked at his friend with remorse. "They punished him after finding out he knew of our location. You-Know-Who had Dolohov and Greyback play with him till he nearly died. They left him in the woods and said if he lived, they'd forgive him. He was out there for hours before we found him. By then we finally got away from Mulciber and Avery-"_

 _"Because they thought we were dead. They **still**_ _think we're dead," Blaise added. "If they find out Draco got help from us-" he shuddered and failed to finish his sentence._

Hermione stared at Draco. She still felt a simmering anger when she looked at him, but now, there was a small shred of respect that was held. He risked his life for his friends. At least now she knew he wasn't a complete git.

"Leave her alone," Blaise murmured. "Stop."

Hermione stood, feeling the aches in her muscles and joints. "Zabini, shh," she shushed softly. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his cheek lightly. He made a small noise, but then became silent. "You're okay."

She collapsed on the floor by his feet suddenly. Her legs giving way to her sleep deprivation and poor health. Her eyes fluttered close at their own accord before she felt herself being drawn towards the feeling of nothingness.

* * *

When Hermione woke up, she found herself wrapped up in a blanket and laying in her bed. However upon opening her eyes she realized two things: the blanket was Draco's, and Theo was right beside her.

He was asleep, and by no means inappropriately close to her, but still he was _close enough_. Seeing him reminded her of the previous night's events and she itched to touch the healing wounds on his face to confirm that he was real. Pushing the blanket off, she placed it gently on Theo before getting up. On the floor beside her was Draco's wand, which she took gratefully. She walked out of her room to see any sign of the others, and found Draco sleeping on the couch. His wounds looked better, though they were still considerably horrible. Hermione had no doubt that they felt worse than they looked.

Blaise was no where to be seen. Hermione walked back towards her room, wondering if he was perhaps in Draco's. Though as she rubbed away sleep from her eyes, she saw the dried blood smears on the walls, leading to the bathroom door. It was left ajar, and slowly Hermione pushed it open to reveal Blaise laying on the floor. Dried blood covered his mouth and hands. A large new bump was on his forehead, indicating that he fell on his head. Hermione ran to his side and fell to her knees beside him before slowly moving his body to lay him on his back. She murmured all the spells she knew that could help him, hoping that she wasn't too late. By the time she managed to clean the blood from his body, his eyes slowly fluttered open.

Blaise groaned in pain and moved to curl himself into a fetal position.

"Fuck, Granger. It hurts."

"What does?" she asked. "Where does it hurt?"

"Everything," he moaned. "My head. My chest," he tried to specify. "I kept coughing and there was just so much blood..."

Hermione's fingers probed his body, feeling for any physical wounds. Her warm touch brought brief consolation to him. For the first time in awhile, Blaise found comfort, despite how much pain he was in. There was something about Hermione that washed him in warmth. Perhaps it was her kind soul, which allowed her to overlook the horrors that he used to partake in. Blaise allowed her to help him, and tried his best to listen to her orders as she began speak. Over the dull throbbing in his head, he managed to hear her tell him to stand. He did his best, and allowed her to drape his arm around her shoulder as she tried to lead him to her room. They stumbled slowly to her bed, where she laid him down and murmured soft comforting words.

"Ever think of becoming a mediwitch, Granger?" he croaked out.

Hermione's lips tugged up for a fraction of a second. "Once upon a time," she revealed. "Stay here. I'll try to get you something to eat."

She left, walking out of the room and towards the portrait door to leave the dorm. She glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, seeing that classes had already started. Knowing what she had to do, Hermione made herself look presentable, tucked Draco's wand hidden in her robes, and held her own in her hand. She left the dorm, throwing a glance at the sleeping blonde on the couch just as she walked out.

Hermione kept her steps quick and light, careful to avoid any teachers. She had to make it to the kitchens. Her long strides took much effort, and drained her of her energy. _Merlin, I am out of shape_ , Hermione thought as she began to huff and puff. She took it as a sign that she had been too isolated from the world, and made a silent promise to change that.

When she saw the bowl of fruit, she nearly laughed with relief. Tickling the pear, she watched as it turned into a door knob, and she entered the hidden large room with brightened eyes.

"Dobby?" she called out, praying that the green-eyed creature was there. "Dobby?"

"Yes, Missus?"

Hermione jumped in alarm and spun around to see the small creature standing behind her, wearing numerous hats and scarves that decorated his body.

"Missus is friend of Harry Potter!" Dobby said in realization. "Is Harry Potter okay?" Dobby looked up at her with his large eyes, briefly reminding her of a scared puppy.

"Yes," she said, feeling guilty for lying to him. "But I need your help."

"Anything! Dobby can do anything, Missus." He smiled proudly and held his head high.

Hermione paused for a moment and looked around and saw the busily working elves. She spotted another who looked familiar. Kreacher, who's face was still stuck in a perpetual grimace, was cleaning dishes with some of the other elves. He didn't talk to or every look at anyone else. She concluded that neither he, nor the others, would be listening in on her conversation with Dobby, and crouched down to be at eye level with the elf.

"I have some people that are very hurt right now. It's a secret and no one can know that they're in the Head Dormitory. So Dobby, do you think, by chance, could you bring some food there, and perhaps..." Hermione paused again. She knew what she had to ask of him, but felt sickened by her own request. "I need you to take some things from the Hospital Wing, and bring it there as well."

Dobby slowly nodded taking in all of this information. "Dobby can do that Missus."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Dobby. Remember, this is a secret. No one can know. It's a life or death matter."

* * *

Dobby was possibly Hermione's favorite person at Hogwarts at the moment. He followed her orders clearly, and brought everything she asked him to. As payment, Hermione offered socks she had taken from Draco's room. Dobby was more than happy to take them, and felt a sense of pride to be taking clothing from his previous master.

"Master Malfoy looks ill," he pointed out as he placed a tray of assorted foods on the coffee table. He looked at Hermione apprehensively. "Missus is friends with Master Malfoy?"

"No," she said quickly. "Not friends. But we have an understanding," she tried to explain. "Thank you again, Dobby. If there's anything you ever need help with..."

"Missus is friends with Harry Potter. A friend of Harry Potter is a friend of Dobby."

When he left, Hermione felt a bit...content. Being around Dobby was refreshing, and reminded her that not everyone was worried about the war. Dobby seemed to be living day by day, only focusing on his given tasks.

"I thought he'd never leave."

Hermione gasped in alarm.

Draco's eyes slowly opened, and he groaned. "Why the bloody hell was that elf here?" He struggled to sit before giving up and settling for rolling onto his side. His eyes landed on the food and juice laid out. Hermione could have sworn that his pupils dilated at the sight.

"'That elf' is about ten times more useful than you are now," Hermione huffed. She walked over to Draco and stood in front of him with crossed arms. "You sniveling foul incompetent prat!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Do you have any idea what kind of stress you managed to put me through while you were half dead?"

"I didn't know you cared about me so much-"

Hermione pulled out his wand and pointed it at his throat. "I had to fix your bloodied body while worrying about Theo and Blaise while they were all but ready to pass out-"

"Theo? Blaise? Where are they?" Draco looked around for his friends. His quicksilver eyes searched for them with no avail.

"In my room," Hermione said.

Draco tried to stand, throwing his leg off the end of the couch while allowing his body to slowly slip off. Hermione quickly stopped him from falling off completely and moved him back to laying down.

"I did not stay up all night to watch you kill yourself. Lay down and don't move. Your body has been through enough."

At her words, Draco looked down at himself. His shirt was unbuttoned and left wide open to display his marred chest. There were healing gashes scattered about, causing him to look like butchered meat. Draco's face twisted up, and he gave a sound of annoyance before running his hand through his hair and closing his eyes. He didn't seem to be surprised by the extent of his wounds. When Draco opened his eyes again, he smirked at Hermione and pointed at the food.

Hermione grabbed a bowl of porridge and handed it out to him, but Draco laid there with a lazy smirk on his face, despite the pain he must have been feeling.

"You aren't going to feed it to me? I'm wounded, Granger. The least you could do is-"

Hermione shoved the bowl into his hands. "I've had enough of you," she snapped. She picked up the rest of the food tray and walked to her room, hoping Blaise and Theo were feeling better.

They were both asleep when she walked in. Hermione placed the tray on the floor and walked over to them, checking to see if they were alright. The bump on Blaise's forehead had gone down, however, the slash on the side of his face was still there and slowly turning into a scab. He woke up as she gingerly touched his ribs, and winced in pain. Hermione mumbled an apology, but Blaise wasn't paying attention. His dark eyes became fixated on the tray of food almost immediately. He opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione cut him off.

"Shh," she said. "I'll bring you some food and medicine," she reassured him. She allowed him to pick from the tray as she found the potion vials that Dobby had swiped from the Hospital Wing. Inspecting the labels, she found the one she was looking for. "Don't eat too much," she advised Blaise."Actually, don't eat at all yet." She gave Blaise a potion bottle that he seemed to recognize with horror.

"Skele-Grow?" he whispered.

"Your ribs are broken," she said. "Drink up, Zabini. And don't waste a drop."

Blaise hesitated before opening it. He sniffed it and gagged, shoving it towards Hermione. She sighed and took it from him, only to shove it towards his mouth. She tilted the bottle down his forcibly parted lips. Eventually Blaise took the bottle from her, but still drank it despite how vile it was. He fought the urge to throw it up. The potion burned his throat on the way down and tasted like acid.

"Blood hell," he coughed once he was done.

"Now you can eat," Hermione said.

Blaise made an uninterested sound, no longer in the mood for eating. Hermione sent him a pointed look, like a mother who was dealing with a petulant child. After a moment or two, Blaise reached for a piece of toast and began to eat, filling his empty stomach with some substance.

Hermione smiled in approval then turned to the sleeping boy beside them. Walking over to Theo, she noticed that he was trembling and sweating profusely. Pressing the back of her hand against his forehead, she inhaled sharply.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked, concerned.

Hermione didn't respond. Instead, she gently tapped on Theo's cheek and whispered his name, urging him to wake. When he failed to respond, Hermione cursed aloud.

"Granger, what's wrong with him?"

"I think he has the flu," Hermione said. She called Theo's name once more, and shook his shoulder lightly.

Theo stirred slightly and moaned, but his eyes did not open.

"Theo, how do you feel? What hurts?" Hermione asked.

He stirred again. "Hot," he murmured. He kicked away the blanket on him and Hermione had to stop him from moving further. Blood from reopened wounds stained his body and the bedsheets. Blaise visibly cringed at the sight and nearly gagged. Hermione muttered a spell to clean his wounds, then asked Blaise to hand her one of the blue potion bottles.

"Theo, you need to drink this, okay?"

He didn't respond, but she took it as a yes. Hermione poured the potion down his throat and watched as the wounds began to slowly form into scabs.

Suddenly he sat up and doubled over, throwing up on himself and nearly getting Hermione. She stood abruptly and cleaned the mess with a wave of Draco's wand. This was a disaster. Theo was sick as hell. Blaise was bedridden until his ribs were fixed. Draco was... It was hard to tell how he was considering how much he tried to play off his true feelings. Though Hermione assumed that he was in a lot of pain. And now she was taking care of all of them, making sure they didn't die on her watch.

Hermione sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "I need help."


End file.
